david elginbrod-第48节

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〃Well；　I　should　say　so；　but　beauty　is　not；　that　is　not　beauty　for
us。〃

Whether　or　not　there　was　poison　in　the　fork　of　this　remark；　Hugh
could　only　conjecture。　　He　made　no　reply。

As　they　walked　about　the　precincts　of　the　house；　Funkelstein　asked
many　questions　of　Hugh；　which　his　entire　ignorance　of　domestic
architecture　made　it　impossible　for　him　to　answer。　　This　seemed　only
to　excite　the　questioner's　desire　for　information　to　a　higher　pitch；
and　as　if　the　very　stones　could　reply　to　his　demands；　he　examined
the　whole　range　of　the　various　buildings　constituting　the　house　of
Arnstead　〃as　he　would　draw　it。〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　he；　〃there　is　at　least　variety　enough　in　the　style
of　this　mass　of　material。　　There　is　enough　for　one　pyramid。〃

〃That　would　be　rather　at　the　expense　of　the　variety；　would　it　not？〃
said　Hugh；　in　spiteful　response　to　the　inconsequence　of　the　second
member　of　Funkelstein's　remark。　　But　the　latter　was　apparently　too
much　absorbed　in　his　continued　inspection　of　the　house；　from　every
attainable　point　of　near　view；　to　heed　the　comment。

〃This　they　call　the　Ghost's　Walk；〃　said　Hugh。

〃Ah！　about　these　old　houses　there　are　always　such　tales。〃

〃What　sort　of　tales　do　you　mean？〃

〃I　mean　of　particular　spots　and　their　ghosts。　　You　must　have　heard
many　such？〃

〃No；　not　I。〃

〃I　think　Germany　is　more　prolific　of　such　stories。　　I　could　tell　you
plenty。〃

〃But　you　don't　mean　you　believe　such　things？〃

〃To　me　it　is　equal。　　I　look　at　them　entirely　as　objects　of　art。〃

〃That　is　a　new　view　of　a　ghost　to　me。　　An　object　of　art？　　I　should
have　thought　them　considerably　more　suitable　objects　previous　to
their　disembodiment。〃

〃Ah！　you　do　not　understand。　　You　call　art　painting；　don't　youor
sculpture　at　most？　　I　give　up　sculpture　certainlyand　painting　too。
But　don't　you　think　a　ghost　a　very　effective　object　in　literature
now？　　Confess：　do　you　not　like　a　ghost…story　very　much？〃

〃Yes；　if　it　is　a　very　good　one。〃

〃Hamlet　now？〃

〃Ah！　we　don't　speak　of　Shakspere's　plays　as　stories。　　His　characters
are　so　real　to　us；　that；　in　thinking　of　their　development；　we　go
back　even　to　their　fathers　and　mothersand　sometimes　even　speculate
about　their　future。〃

〃You　islanders　are　always　in　earliest　somehow。　　So　are　we　Germans。
We　are　all　one。〃

〃I　hope　you　can　be　in　earnest　about　dinner；　then；　for　I　hear　the
bell。〃

〃We　must　render　ourselves　in　the　drawing…room；　then？　　Yes。〃

When　they　entered　the　drawing…room；　they　found　Miss　Cameron　alone。
Funkelstein　advanced；　and　addressed　a　few　words　to　her　in　German；
which　Hugh's　limited　acquaintance　with　the　language　prevented　him
from　catching。　　At　the　same　moment；　Mr。　Arnold　entered；　and
Funkelstein；　turning　to　him　immediately；　proceeded；　as　if　by　way　of
apology　for　speaking　in　an　unknown　tongue；　to　interpret　for　Mr。
Arnold's　benefit：

〃I　have　just　been　telling　Miss　Cameron　in　the　language　of　my
country；　how　much　better　she　looks　than　when　I　saw　her　at　Sir　Edward
Lastons。〃

〃I　know　I　was　quite　a　scare…crow　then；〃　said　Euphra；　attempting　to
laugh。

〃And　now　you　are　quite　a　decoy…duck；　eh；　Euphra？〃　said　Mr。　Arnold；
laughing　in　reality　at　his　own　joke；　which　put　him　in　great
good…humour　for　the　whole　time　of　dinner　and　dessert。

〃Thank　you；　uncle；〃　said　Euphra；　with　a　prettily　pretended
affectation　of　humility。　　Then　she　added　gaily：

〃When　did　you　rise　on　our　Sussex　horizon；　Herr　von　Funkelstein？〃

〃Oh！　　I　have　been　in　the　neighbourhood　for　a　few　days；　but　I　owe　my
meeting　with　you　to　one　of　those　coincidences　which；　were　they　not
so　pleasantto　me　in　this　case；　at　leastone　would　think　could
only　result　from　the　blundering　of　old　Dame　Nature　over　her
knitting。　　If　I　had　not　had　the　good　fortune　to　meet　Mr。　Sutherland
the　other　evening；　I　should　have　remained　in　utter　ignorance　of　your
neighbourhood　and　my　own　felicity；　Miss　Cameron。　　Indeed；　I　called
now　to　see　him；　not　you。〃

Hugh　saw　Mr。　Arnold　looking　rather　doubtful　of　the　foreigner's　fine
speeches。

Dinner　was　announced。　　Funkelstein　took　Miss　Cameron；　Hugh　Mrs。
Elton；　and　Mr。　Arnold　followed　with　Lady　Emily；　who　would　never
precede　her　older　friend。　　Hugh　tried　to　talk　to　Mrs。　Elton；　but
with　meagre　success。　　He　was　suddenly　a　nobody；　and　felt　more　than
he　had　felt　for　a　long　time　what；　in　his　present　deteriorated　moral
state；　he　considered　the　degradation　of　his　position。　　A　gulf　seemed
to　have　suddenly　yawned　between　himself　and　Euphra；　and　the　loudest
voice　of　his　despairing　agony　could　not　reach　across　that　gulf。　　An
awful　conviction　awoke　within　him；　that　the　woman　he　worshipped
would　scarcely　receive　his　worship　at　the　worth　of　incense　now；　and
yet　in　spirit　he　fell　down　grovelling　before　his　idol。　　The　words
〃euphrasy　and　rue〃　kept　ringing　in　his　brain；　coming　over　and　over
with　an　awful　mingling　of　chime　and　toll。　　When　he　thought　about　it
afterwards；　he　seemed　to　have　been　a　year　in　crossing　the　hall　with
Mrs。　Elton　on　his　arm。　　But　as　if　divining　his　thoughtsjust　as
they　passed　through　the　dining…room　door；　Euphra　looked　round　at
him；　almost　over　Funkelstein's　shoulder；　and；　without　putting　into
her　face　the　least　expression　discernible　by　either　of　the　others
following；　contrived　to　banish　for　the　time　all　Hugh's　despair；　and
to　convince　him　that　he　had　nothing　to　fear　from　Funkelstein。　　How
it　was　done　Hugh　himself　could　not　tell。　　He　could　not　even　recall
the　look。　　He　only　knew　that　he　had　been　as　miserable　as　one　waking
in　his　coffin；　and　that　now　he　was　out　in　the　sunny　air。

During　dinner；　Funkelstein　paid　no　very　particular　attention　to
Euphrasia；　but　was　remarkably　polite　to　Lady　Emily。　　She　seemed
hardly　to　know　how　to　receive　his　attentions；　but　to　regard　him　as　a
strange　animal；　which　she　did　not　know　how　to　treat；　and　of　which
she　was　a　little　afraid。　　Mrs。　Elton；　on　the　contrary；　appeared　to
be　delighted　with　his　behaviour　and　conversation；　for；　without
showing　the　least　originality；　he　yet　had　seen　so　much；　and　knew　so
well　how　to　bring　out　what　he　had　seen；　that　he　was　a　most
interesting　companion。　　Hugh　took　little　share　in　the　conversation
beyond　listening　as　well　as　he　could；　to　prevent　himself　from　gazing
too　much　at　Euphra。

〃Had　Mr。　Sutherland　and　you　been　old　acquaintances　then；　Herr　von
Funkelstein？〃　asked　Mr。　Arnold；　reverting　to　the　conversation　which
had　been　interrupted　by　the　announcement　of　dinner。

〃Not　at　all。　　We　met　quite　accidentally；　and　introduced　ourselves。
I　believe　a　thunderstorm　and　a　lecture　on　biology　were　the
mediating　parties　between　us。　　Was　it　not　so；　Mr。　Sutherland？〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　stammered　Hugh。　But　Mr。　Arnold　interposed：

〃A　lecture　on　what；　did　you　say？〃

〃On　biology。〃

Mr。　Arnold　looked　posed。　　He　did　not　like　to　say　he　did　not　know
what　the　word　meant；　for；　like　many　more　ignorant　men；　he　thought
such　a　confession　humiliating。　　Von　Funkelstein　hastened　to　his
relief。

〃It　would　be　rather　surprising　if　you　were　acquainted　with　the
subject；　Mr。　Arnold。　　I　fear　to　explain　it　to　you；　lest　both　Mr。
Sutherland　and　myself　should　sink　irrecoverably　in　your　estimation。
But　young　men　want　to　know　all　that　is　going　on。〃

Herr　Funkelstein　was　not　exactly　what　one　would　call　a　young　man；
but；　as　he　chose　to　do　so　himself；　there　was　no　one　to　dispute　the
classification。

〃Oh！　of　course；〃　replied　Mr。　Arnold；　〃quite　right。　　What；　then；
pray；　is　biology？〃

〃A　science；　falsely　so　called；〃　said　Hugh；　who；　waking　up　a　little；
wanted　to　join　in　the　conversation。

〃What　does　the　word　mean？〃　said　Mr。　Arnold。

Von　Funkelstein　answered　at　once：

〃The　science　of　life。　　But　I　must　say；　the　name；　as　now　applied；　is
no　indication　of　the　thing　signified。〃

〃How；　then；　is　a　gentleman　to　know　what　it　is？〃　said　Mr。　Arnold；
half　pettishly；　and　forgetting　that　his　knowledge　had　not　extended
even　to　the　interpretation　of　the　name。

〃It　is　one　of　the　sciences；　true　or　false；　connected　with　animal
magnetism。〃

〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Arnold；　rather　rudely。

〃You　would　have　said　so；　if　you　had　heard　the　lecture；〃　said
Funkelstein。

The　conversation　had　not　taken　this　turn　till　quite　late　in　the
dining　ceremony。　　Euphra　rose　to　go；　and　Hugh　remarked　that　her　face
was　dreadfully　pale。　　But　she　walked　steadily　out　of　the　room。

This　interrupted　the　course　of　the　talk；　and　the　subject　was　not
resumed。　　Immediately　after　tea；　which　was　served　very　soon；
Funkelstein　took　his　leave　of　the　ladies。

〃We　shall　be　glad　to　see　you　often　while　in　this　neighbourhood；〃
said　Mr。　Arnold；　as　he　bade　him　good　night。

〃I　shall；　without　fail；　do　myself　the　honour　of　calling　again　soon；〃
replied　he；　and　bowed　himself　out。

Lady　Emily；　evidently　relieved　by　his　departure；　rose；　and；
approaching　Euphra；　said；　in　a　sweet　coaxing　tone；　which　even　she
could　hardly　have　resisted：

〃Dear　Miss　Cameron；　you　promised　to　sing；　for　me　in　particular；　some
evening。　　May　I　claim　the　fulfilment　of　your　promise？〃

Euphra　had　recovered　her　complexion；　and　she　too　seemed　to　Hugh　to
be　relieved　by　the　departure　of　Funkelstein。

〃Certainly；〃　she　answered；　rising　at　once。　〃What　shall　I　sing？〃

Hugh　was　all　ear　now。

〃Something　sacred；　if　you　please。〃

Euphra　hes